JPH049982A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the contamination of a periphery by toner by providing an exhaust part for making compressed air generated inside a toner supply device at the time of loading a toner cartridge escape on either of the toner cartridge and the toner supply device. CONSTITUTION:When the cartridge 1 is loaded in the toner supply device 2, the seal 8 of the aperture 7 of the cartridge 1 is peeled off by a projection 22 and pushed into a 2nd chamber 10 positioned outside a side wall 3. Toner 6 is supplied to a copying machine P main body through the aperture 7 and a supply port 21. At such a time, the compressed air generated by depressing the cartridge 1 inside the device 2 enters the chamber 10 together with the suspending toner through a gap between the device 2 and the cartridge 1. The toner 6 is captured by a filter 24 and only the compressed air passes through the filter and goes out from the chamber 10 to the outside. Therefore, the cartridge and the periphery of the toner supply device are not contaminated by the toner.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (a) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine that contains toner and is sealed with a sealing member. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that includes a toner cartridge and a toner supply device to which the toner cartridge is tightly attached, and supplies toner by peeling off a sealing member when the toner cartridge is attached to the toner supply device.

(B) Conventional technology Conventionally, in order to supply developing toner to an image forming apparatus, the toner is contained and sealed with a sealing member, and the sealing member is peeled off by the operation of attaching it to the toner supplying device of the image forming apparatus. A toner cartridge is used that supplies toner on the spot.

That is, an opening is provided at the bottom of the toner accommodating portion, this opening is covered with a sealing member from one edge to the other edge, the sealing member is folded back at the other edge of the opening, and a claw is provided at the end of the sealing member. A toner cartridge is used in which the sealing member is peeled off by engaging the claw with a protrusion on the main body of the image forming apparatus when the toner cartridge is installed.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the toner cartridge as described above, since the sealing member is folded back and attached to the opening, the peeling stroke of the sealing member is approximately 2 @ of the opening length. length is required.

Therefore, there is a drawback that the size of the cartridge mounting portion in the image forming apparatus becomes large.

Further, the claw portion is fixed to the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is stored or handled, and needs to be detached from the toner cartridge when it is installed. However, it is difficult to keep such a removable claw portion fixed.

In order to solve these problems, the present applicant proposed the following toner cartridge and toner supply device (Japanese Patent Application No. 1-244969).

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the toner cartridge 51 includes a first chamber 53 in which the toner 52 is accommodated, a second chamber 54 provided near the first chamber 53 and in which the toner 52 is not accommodated; A first opening 56 and a first opening 56 provided in the first chamber 53 and for supplying the toner 52 to the toner supply device 55.
, a second opening 56 provided in the second chamber 54 adjacent to the first opening 56.
An opening 57 is provided.

This toner cartridge 51 further includes a seal member 63. The sealing member 63 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape, and the end portion 58 is positioned at an inner edge 59 that is the edge on the second opening side of the first opening 56 to seal the entire periphery of the first opening 56. , the middle part of the length is folded back at the outer edge 60 of the first opening 56 to form the first opening 56 and the second opening 57.
The other end 61 is arranged across the second opening 57.
is fixed at or near the outer edge 62 of.

The toner supply device 55 is one in which the toner cartridge 5I is tightly mounted by pushing down the toner cartridge 5I, and has a mounting opening 64 that guides the side wall of the toner cartridge 51 downward.
have. Below this installation opening 64, a second
A protrusion 65 is provided to be inserted into the chamber 54. A toner supply port 66 is provided below the mounting port 64 for supplying the toner 52 in the toner cartridge 51 to the main body of the image forming apparatus.

According to such toner cartridge 51 and toner supply device 55, the above two problems can be solved.

However, in this toner cartridge 51 and toner supply device 55, the seal member 63 is peeled off before the toner cartridge 51 is completely installed in the toner supply device 55, and the toner 52 is supplied. Further, when the toner cartridge 51 is attached to the toner supply device 55, air is compressed inside the toner supply device 55 by pushing down the toner cartridge 51.

Therefore, compressed air blows up from the gap between the toner supply device 55 and the toner cartridge 51. Along with this compressed air, the toner 52 also becomes floating and comes out to the outside, so the toner cartridge 51 and toner supply device 5
5 or the operator may be contaminated with the toner 52.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can prevent the vicinity of a toner cartridge, a toner supply device, or an operator from being contaminated by toner. .

(d) Means for Solving the Problems and Their Effects This invention provides a first tube in which toner is stored and which has a first downward opening.
a second chamber that is provided near the first chamber, does not contain toner, and has a second downward opening that is adjacent to the first opening; and a substantially rectangular sheet; is releasably welded to the entire circumferential edge of the first opening, and the remaining portion is folded back at the outer edge of the first opening to connect the first opening and the second opening.
The image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge including a sealing member disposed across an opening, and a toner supply device into which the toner cartridge is tightly attached by a push-down operation and supplies toner to a predetermined location. hand,
The image forming apparatus is provided with an exhaust section in at least one of the toner cartridge and the toner supply device to release compressed air generated by the above-mentioned pressing operation inside the toner supply device when the toner cartridge is installed in the toner supply device. .

That is, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, when the toner cartridge is installed in the toner supply device, the exhaust section that releases the compressed air generated by the pushing down operation of the toner cartridge inside the toner supply device is connected to the toner cartridge and the toner supply device. It is characterized in that it is provided on at least one side.

Here, the exhaust section is provided, for example, at the top of the toner cartridge or at the side wall of the toner supply device.

In the former case, in order to prevent toner scattering outside due to toner blowing up, it is preferable to install a filter in the exhaust port so as to block it. In the latter case, the exhaust section is preferably provided above the position where the toner cartridge is attached and the sealing member begins to peel off.

(e) Examples The present invention will now be described in detail based on three examples shown in the figures. Note that this invention is not limited to these.

Embodiment 1 In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 is a toner cartridge in a copying machine P serving as an image forming apparatus, and 2 is a toner supply device to which the toner cartridge I is installed. The toner cartridge l has a first chamber 5 formed by a side wall 3 and a top wall 4.

The first chamber 5 is filled with toner 6. This first
The chamber 5 has a first opening lower part facing downward.

The first open lower portion is sealed by a portion of the seal member 8.

One of the side walls 3 is provided with a protruding wall 9 at a predetermined distance from the side wall 3. A second chamber l in which the toner 6 is not stored is located between the protruding wall 9 and the side wall 3 thereof.
O is formed. The second chamber IO has a downwardly directed second opening 11 located at a higher position than the first opening lower part of the first chamber 5 and adjacent to the first opening lower part.

The seal member 8 is formed into a substantially rectangular sheet. Then, after the end portion 12 is positioned on the inner edge 13 which is the second opening side edge of the first opening lower and sealing the entire periphery of the first opening lower, the outer edge 16 of the first opening lower It is folded back and placed so as to straddle the first opening lower and second opening 11. Furthermore, the other end 17 of the sealing member 8
It is fixed to the outer edge 18 of the opening 11.

The toner supply device 2 has a rectangular mounting opening 20 that guides the side wall 3 of the toner cartridge I.

Below this installation opening 20, a toner 6 is inserted into the main body of the copying machine P.
A rectangular toner supply port 21 is provided for supplying toner.

A plate-shaped protrusion 22 is vertically provided near the toner supply port 21 at a location where the second chamber 10 is located when the toner cartridge I is completely installed.

An exhaust section is provided at the top of the second chamber 10 of the toner cartridge 1 . In other words, this exhaust section is connected to the second chamber 1
It consists of a top exhaust port 23 whose top wall is entirely open, and a polyester fiber filter 24 attached to the top exhaust port 23 so as to close the top exhaust port 23. This filter 2
4 captures the floating toner 6 and allows air to pass through it.

As the toner cartridge l is installed in the toner supply device 2 as shown in FIG. It will be done.

Then, the toner 6 flows into the first opening lower part and the toner supply port 21.
It is supplied to the main body of the copying machine P through.

At this time, compressed air generated by pushing down the toner cartridge 1 inside the toner supply device 2 enters the second chamber 10 together with the floating toner 6 through the gap between the toner supply device 2 and the toner cartridge 1 . Then, the floating toner 6 moves upward as shown by the arrow, and the floating toner 6 is captured by the filter 24, and the compressed air passes through the filter 24 to the second
Go outside from room 10.

Therefore, in this copying machine P, there is no risk that the vicinity of the toner cartridge 1, the toner supply device 2, or the operator will be contaminated with the toner 6.

Embodiment 2 In FIG. 3, 31 is a copying machine Q as an image forming apparatus.
This is a toner cartridge. This toner cartridge 31 has a first chamber 36 formed by a side wall 32, a top wall 33, an inclined wall 34, and a receiving plate 35. The first chamber 36 is filled with toner 37. The first chamber 36 has a downward first opening 38 at its lower portion. The first opening 38 is sealed by a portion of the three seal members.

One of the side walls 32 is provided with a portion 40 protruding outward from the side wall 32. The inside of the protruding portion 40 is a second chamber 41 in which the toner 37 is not stored. The second chamber 4I has the first opening 3 of the first chamber 36 at its lower part.
8 and has a downwardly directed second opening 42 adjacent to the first opening 38.

The top of the second chamber 41 consists of a top exhaust port 43 which is opened on the entire top wall of the second chamber 41, and a filter 44 manufactured by Subonno that is attached to the top exhaust port 43 so as to close the top exhaust port 43. This filter 44 captures the floating toner 37 and allows air to pass therethrough.

The functions and effects of this copying machine Q are similar to those of Embodiment I.

Embodiment 3 In FIGS. 4 and 5, 45 is a toner cartridge in a copying machine R serving as an image forming apparatus. The structure of this toner cartridge 45 is almost the same as that of the first embodiment.

46 is a toner supply device to which the toner cartridge 45 is attached. The toner supply device 46 is provided with an exhaust section. That is, in the side wall 47 of the toner supply device 46, the side wall exhaust port 4 is located above the position where the toner cartridge 45 is attached and the seal member 48 starts to peel off.
9 is provided. As shown in FIG.
This is for guiding compressed air generated by pushing down the toner cartridge 45 inside the toner supply bag W46 into the main body of the copying machine R and letting it escape.

In this copying machine R, before the toner cartridge 45 is attached to the toner supply bag R46 and the seal member 48 begins to peel off, compressed air is compressed through the side wall exhaust port 49 as shown by the arrow in FIG. Air is guided into the main body of copying machine R and released. Therefore, there is no risk that the vicinity of the toner cartridge 45, the toner supply device 46, or the operator will be contaminated with toner.

(f) Effects of the Invention Since the image forming apparatus of the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to prevent the vicinity of the toner cartridge and toner supply device or the operator from being contaminated with toner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the toner cartridge, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration in the middle of installing the toner cartridge in the toner supply device. FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and is a partially cutaway perspective view of a toner cartridge. Embodiment 3 of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and FIG.
The figure is a diagram illustrating the configuration immediately before the toner cartridge is installed in the toner supply device, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration in the middle of installing the toner cartridge in the toner supply device. FIG. 6 shows a conventional example, and is an explanatory diagram of the configuration immediately before a toner cartridge is installed in a toner supply device. 21... Toner supply port, 22... Protrusion, 23, 43... Top exhaust port, 24, 44... Filter member, 47...・・・
Side wall of toner supply device, 49...Side wall exhaust port. l・31・45・・・・Toner cartridge, 2・
46... Toner supply device, 5.36...
・First chamber, 7・38・・・・First opening, 8・39・48・・・・Seal member, 10・41・
...Second chamber, 11, 42...Second opening, I2...One end of sealing member, 13...
...Inner edge of the first opening, 16...Outer edge of the first opening, 17...Other end of the sealing member, 1
8... Outer edge of second opening, 20...
Mounting port, Figure 1, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first chamber containing toner and having a first opening facing downward, and a first chamber provided near the first chamber, not containing toner and provided adjacent to the first opening. It consists of a second chamber having a second downward opening, and a substantially rectangular sheet, a part of which is releasably welded to the entire circumference of the first opening, and the remaining part is folded back at the outer edge of the first opening. A toner cartridge including a sealing member disposed across a first opening and a second opening, and a toner supply device in which the toner cartridge is tightly attached by a push-down operation and supplies toner to a predetermined location. The image forming apparatus includes at least one of the toner cartridge and the toner supply device, and includes an exhaust section that releases compressed air generated by the pressing operation inside the toner supply device when the toner cartridge is installed in the toner supply device. An image forming device made by 2. An exhaust section is attached to the top exhaust port provided at the top of the second chamber of the toner cartridge, and is attached to the top exhaust port so as to block the top exhaust port, and captures the floating toner inside the toner supply device and compresses the toner. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a filter member that allows air to pass through and escape. 3. An exhaust section is provided on the side wall of the toner supply device above the position where the toner cartridge is installed and the sealing member starts peeling off, and the side wall exhaust section guides the compressed air into the image forming apparatus body and releases it. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a mouth.